Home Improvement Contractor - Licensed Contractors

Finishing Basement - Drywall vs. Drop Ceiling Professional Labor Costs?

what is the ballpark difference in parts/labor to pay a contractor to install a drop ceiling or a drywall ceiling?

Public Comments

1. Depends on where you live, but we live in New England, and my BF is a contractor/carpenter. He has a standard hourly rate, and this can vary dramatically from person to person, he would charge $80-100 an hour, depending on the job. But you may be able to find a person who only does drywall to do it cheaper.
2. The difference between a contractor doing it and you doing it? The materials will be less, and the labor will be more. A contractor of any size will get a significant discount on materials because of the volume he buys. In my case I pass along part of that discount to the customer. Win, win. The labor will be about 45-60 dollars per hr. for two guys. This usually covers transportation and other expenses. Right now there are lots of contractors that would be thrilled if they could just make payroll at the end of the month without borrowing money. If you have a big enough job have them bid it and make it competitive. Some will do the job under cost just to keep their crew together until times get better.
3. If your plumbing and electrical are in the ceiling I would opt for a drop ceiling. It allows access when needed. It is also cheaper than dry walling regardless of where you live.
4. Hello, the difference between the drop and the drywall will be almost nil for a couple reasons, first,the drop ceiling while being more expensive to purchase,is a "finished" product. that means that you install the grid put the tiles in, clean up, and your done. The drywall is less expensive to buy but much more to install, you must prep the ceiling, install the board, tape the seams, then coat the seams with up to three coats of drywall topping with drying and sanding times between all three coats.The drop ceiling has many benefits, ease of installation, ease of access to pipes or wiring in the event of a problem virtually no mess when installing, ease of repair in case of leaks or damage,great acoustic benefits, and a nice look. The drywall is messy to install,the cutting creates lots of dust,drywall mud can be a clean up nightmare,sanding the joints creates a huge amount of dust,there is no way to access wires or pipes without cutting through the drywall, and it need to be painted periodically. So, the cost of both should be very close and it would come down to a personal decision, I would go with the drop ceiling personally.Hope this helps:-)
5. I agree with Katnib, a drop ceiling is a more logical choice.
6. Go with the drop because if you ever have a water leak it's much easier to replace a ceiling tile than to repair drywall, and with the drop ceiling you avoid the mess of the drywall tape, sanding, etc.